I solemly swear that I will try to be good
by Sarah's moving castle
Summary: James turned to face Sirius who launched at him in a ferocious hug."I've missed you so much" He cried."Y'know mate" James said "with you living with me now, you'd think being apart for ten minutes wouldn't be so bad. Sirius wiped a fake tear from his eye and barked a laugh. "Longest 10 minutes of my life. Never underestimate the love of a best mate."
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter__.__This is a rewrite of my story of the same name.__  
__All worthy work is open to interpretations the author did not intend. Art isn't your pet - it's your kid. It grows up and talks back to you.- Joss Whedon_

_**Lily**_

"Don't forget to write to us every month!" Lily's mother called to her from the platform, more out of habit than anything else. Lily was starting her fifth year at Hogwarts. She knew the drill by now.

"Every week" Lily promised her parents."I'll see you at Christmas". She was eager to say goodbye and get on the train. This was the second year in a row that Petunia had refused to come and say goodbye to her sister and after a long summer of trying to salvage some of the closeness they once had Lily longed for the soothing company of her friends.

She waved goodbye one last time before boarding the Hogwarts Express. After storing her trunk in the luggage compartment Lily made her way down the train to look for an empty compartment. No sign of Potter yet. Thank god.

"LILY!"She heard someone yell from behind her. She turned to see her best friends Alice Prewett and Marlene McKinnon running towards her, nearly sending a startled first year sprawling on the floor. Lily laughed, tossing my wavy red hair over her shoulders. "Alice, Marlene!" She called hugging the two girls. "How was your summer?" Marlene asked, tugging gently on one of Lily's glossy curls. Lily grimaced "Petunia's boyfriend Vernon was staying with us for the whole summer and I had to keep my owl in most of the time so that's why I couldn't write to you guys as often as I wanted to"

Alice beamed" Cheer up Lils" We'll be at Hogwarts soon. I can't believe we're fifth years now" "I know" Marlene agreed "Now come on, let's find a compartment."

Lily smiled. She'd missed her friends over the holidays.

She watched Alice's blonde hair dart through the students wandering the aisle. Alice had short, blonde hair and stunning blue eyes that reflected her bubbly personality. The three girls had been friends since first year when they had been placed in the same dormitory and Marlene always said it had been a case of becoming friends or enduring a lot of very awkward silences over the years.

Marlene McKinnon was almost completely the opposite, with her very long dark brown hair and icy blue eyes she was gorgeous. Every boy thought so. Marlene had a short temper and nobody would want to get on the wrong side of her. Of course the one person who constantly winds her up would be a person who defies category. Sirius Black. Their long term rivalry had lasted almost as long as James Potter's infatuation with Lily- far too long too to number in their opinion.

Lily followed her friends into a compartment, eager to catch up on all the gossip She had missed out on.

_**James**_

"James!" He heard a booming voice yell. James Potter grinned and turned to face his best friend, holding his hands above his head in surrender. Sirius ran at him, closely followed by Remus and Peter, and he tackled James nearly knocking him to the ground in a ferocious hug. "I've missed you so much" He cried, seeming close to tears. James laughed. "You know mate" He said "with you living with me now, you'd think being apart for ten minutes wouldn't be so bad. " Sirius wiped an invisible tear from his eye.  
"The longest ten minutes of my life James. Never underestimate the love of a best mate." Remus rolled his eyes at their antics. "We've got a compartment down here" He told James who nodded and made to follow them down the aisle.

James heard laughter outside a compartment as he walked past and couldn't help looking in as he passed. Lily Evans was inside, listening intently as her friend Alice talked quickly and without pauses about something involving her boyfriend Frank and his strait laced mother. James sighed to himself as he watched and Sirius smacked him upside the head from behind him and pulled his hair back in a messy imitation of Professor Mc Gonagall.  
"Move along now Mr Potter. There'll be plenty of time for your creepy Lily watching when we arrive." Sirius told him.  
James scowled and ran a hand through his hair until it was standing on end. "It's not creepy"  
"It's a little creepy" Sirius countered "Now hurry up. I want to plan a brilliant prank for the Sorting ceremony." He put a hand on James' back and lightly shoved James until he moved, casting one last lovestruck gaze in Lily's direction.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Lily**_

"Lily pass me another cauldron cake will you?" Marlene asked. Lily tossed her one from the pile next to her. "_Another _Mar?" Lily feigned shock.  
"Do you really want to be mistaken for Professor Slughorn's sister?"  
Lily was of course only teasing. Marlene was slim and lithe from years of being a Chaser on the Gryffindor Quidditch team.  
Marlene glared "Hey this is only my third one"

Alice shot Lily an incredulous look before she started to giggle. Lily was slightly better at composing herself and merely smirked. "Alright fifth" Marlene amended "but I'll be working it off when Quidditch starts again unlike you two Flobberworms"

Before they could answer the compartment door slid open and James Potter's mop of hair appeared. Lily sighed. She knew it was only a matter of time before he would come looking for her. He was nearly impossible to dissuade.  
James winked at Lily but she ignored him, ignored the slight rush of guilt she felt. She wished he'd find himself a girlfriend this year and take the blatantly obvious hints that she wasn't interested in him.

It wasn't that she didn't find James unattractive because though she would _never _admit it he was good looking with sparkling hazel eyes and cheekbones so sharp they could cut someone. And Lily wasn't unaware of the jealous stares sent her way by the flocks of Marauders fangirls but Lily was nothing if not kind and she'd seen James Potter hex some poor unsuspecting first year one too many time for her to feel anything for him besides disdain.

Alice and Marlene found it hilarious that he got under her skin so much but dutifully listened every time Lily burst into the common room to rant about the Marauders latest prank.

"What Potter?" Lily said shortly. "Hey Evans, seen Sirius?"He asked  
"No, we haven't seen him Potter" Lily answered since Alice and Marlene seemed content to let her do all the talking. "Shame" James didn't seem bothered at all. "Are those two ok?" He added as an afterthought, indicating my mad friends both of whom had crossed their arms and were staring resolutely out the window, most likely their attempt to force Lily to talk to James. "They're fine Potter" Lily said exasperatedly, anxious for him to leave.

Potter nodded to himself and then ducked his head back out the door. Lily stared after him, surprised. This was usually the time when he asked her out. Why hadn't he? Lily touched her hair self consciously.

"Go out with me Evans?" She heard James interrupt her rambling thoughts. "Potter" Lily said, not sure whether to be relived that I hadn't become uglier over the summer or annoyed that he hadn't taken the hint after almost five years. "The day I go out with you will be the day I see a purple hippogriff wearing a lime green bowler hat." Potter wasn't even seem fazed."You'll come around" He said before shutting the compartment door and making his way down the train, possibly to look for Sirius.

"LILY!" Marlene said crossly "Would you give the poor guy a break!" Lily was shocked.

"Marlene!" She laughed "You didn't use to care about James Potter."

"Well yeah" Marlene said uncomfortably "But you know our parents are friends so I ended up spending most of the holidays hanging out with him and Sirius, and he's actually really nice and funny" She grinned "You should have seen his house Lily! It's a mansion. They have two house elves! And you should have seen what we did to Sirius while he was sleeping!"

"Can we talk about something besides Potter and his stupid pranks please" Lily begged.  
The girls chatted for another half an hour before they were interrupted again, this time by Frank Longbottom. He smiled sweetly at them as he entered the compartment and Alice went bright red and mumbled an inaudible "Hello". Alice had had a massive crush on Frank since second year after he caught her after she had bounced all around the quidditch pitch after falling off her broomstick.

"Have you seen it?" He asked excitedly "Seen what?"Marlene inquired. Frank motioned at the corridor behind him and they got up looking curiously at each other. Frank led them down to the end of the end of the train to where a large group of students had gathered and were pointing and chatting animatedly.

They made their way to the front of the group. When she saw what was going on Alice burst into delighted laughter. "What's that Lily" Marlene grinned at Lily "I think I hear wedding bells already"

Lily groaned and buried her face in her hands. A purple Hippogriff was shifting nervously as various students attempted to bow before it, a green bowler hat perched jauntily on it's head. And James Potter was standing next to it looking like Christmas had come early. He grinned and waved like a maniac at them. Lily stormed over to him. "What do you think you're doing Potter!" She hissed, embarrassed at the attention "One purple hippogriff with a lime green bowler hat as requested. I did have to ask Remus what a bowler hat was though. And now you have to go on a date with me!"

Lily took a step closer to him. "Potter, you son of a blast ended skrewt. I would never go out with someone who finds it funny to play childish tricks on innocent people. Why can't you get it into your thick skull that you should just leave me alone."

She stormed back to their compartment, looking back only once before entering. He had such a heartbroken expression on his face was almost enough to make her go back and apologize. It really wasn't in Lily's nature to be deliberately cruel but did she just wanted him to get the message. He might get his hopes up again and then I'd feel worse. I suppose, for arguments sake,

Lily closed the compartment door behind me and turned to face her friends. "Wonder who the new Defence against the dark arts teacher will be?"She said brightly, perhaps a little too brightly because they turned to each other with knowing looks.


	3. Chapter 3

_**James**_

Once he'd gotten rid of the hippogriff James went back to the compartment.

"I just don't know what I'm doing wrong!" He moaned to his friends "Why won't she go out with me?"

Sirius looked at him sceptically "James mate don't kill me for saying this but do you ever think she'd go out with you if she got to know you better. You should lay low, don't ask her out for a while." Remus nodded seriously."I think you should listen to Sirius." James stared at them incredulously "Listen to him! He goes through girlfriends faster than Slughorn goes through boxes of crystallized pineapple."

"I resent that" Sirius protested.  
"But James is right too." Said his Oh-So-Wise friend Remus."And James maybe you _should_ become friends with Lily first. She obviously doesn't know you that well if she thinks go around hexing everyone you see"

James nodded slowly "OK," He decided. "I'll do it"

Sirius snorted "Like that'll help. I'm sure she still thinks you're the same arrogant toe-rag as always!"

_**Lily**_

"He's the same arrogant toe-rag as always!" She ranted. "That Hippogriff could have seriously injured someone. And to think you tried to tell me earlier that he had changed!"  
This was directed at Marlene who was currently pretending to cower behind Alice. "Oh very funny" Lily snapped "Now do you see how immature he is?"  
"Aw come on Lils" Marlene pleaded "He was just trying to be could all just be friends if you gave him a chance. For me. Please!"  
Lily's mood changed dramatically. "Marlene you know I can't resist your puppy dog eyes!" She said "So I'll make you a deal. I won't even speak to Potter and that way we'll all win." Alice gave her a scary, stern look, or what she thought was her scary, stern look. Alice couldn't actually look scary.  
She just looked a bit surprised. "Lily Evans "she said "You must solemnly swear that you will not at least try to be nice to James this year."

Lily looked at her incredulously. "You can't be serious. I'd rather-"

"Lily!"

"Fine!" She reluctantly agreed. There was no point in Alice being mad at her over stupid Potter.

Alice seemed happy with that and as an unspoken agreement they didn't mention Potter again for the rest of the journey. It was near nighttime when they arrived at Hogwarts and Lily had to fulfil her duty as a prefect by herding the second and third years to carriages and helping them on before finding a carriage of her own. Marlene and Alice stood to the side waiting for her. Lily deliberately avoided the thestrals pulling the carriages along. Not that she could see them but knowing they were there still creeped her out.

Then she saw who had followed then into the carriage and struggled to restrain a scowl. Sirius Black, upon noticing this, flicked back his hair and said "Calm down Evans, this is the only carriage left. Its not like we're happy about sharing a carriage with the three most beautiful girls in Hogwarts" He winked at Marlene, who stuck out her tongue at him. And she calls Lily immature!

Ignoring Sirius, Lily nodded at Remus and took her seat. She liked Remus, and felt kind of sorry for him, since his mother was very unwell and he had to go to see her every month or so. He seemed far too nice to put up with Sirius and James.

"So Evans" James said casually "How was your summer?"

Lily stared suspiciously into his eyes, Hazel eyes she couldn't help noticing.

It was going to be a long year.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Btw: YES, Peter Pettigrew is sort of nice here. Thanks to everyone who reviewed so far though none of you left names. **_

_**Disclaimer: All right go to J.K Rowling**___

_**Lily**_

It was a surprisingly quiet journey to Hogwarts, nobody really speaking. Not that Lily minded though. Everyone was really tired and hungry and it was a relief not to have to make nice with the four boys.

They arrived at Hogwarts and James got out first, holding out a hand to help Lily down, which she promptly ignored.

The groups separated quietly and the girls took their seats in the Great Hall, as far away as possible from the insufferable Marauders to watch the sorting. "See any first years you know?" Alice asked, drumming her fingers absently on the table.  
Lily shook her head. "No, I don't think so. What about you Mar?"

She smiled "The one at the end of the line that fell into the lake. That's Emmeline Vance's little brother Declan"  
Lily bit her lip. "Poor boy. There's always one isn't there?"  
They turned to look at him. He was soaked through, but he didn't seem to mind. He was chatting animatedly to a tiny girl with waist length hair, who was staring around the vast hall and the candles levitating below the ceiling.

Lily followed her gaze to the ceiling too. It was magically enchanted so it would mimic the sky outside and at the moment it showed a beautiful clear night sky with thousands of stars sparkling. Astronomy was one of Lily's favourite subjects, right after potions and there was nothing she loved more than stargazing from the astronomy tower.

The sound of everyone clapping loudly jolted her out of her revere. In her daze she'd missed nearly all of the Sorting Hat's song and now the Sorting was beginning. Marlene noticed how Lily had started and she laughed, flinging her hair over her shoulders in a dramatic gesture that involved spreading her arms out wide and nearly hitting Mary McDonald who was sitting next to her. Marlene loved big gestures.

"Honestly Lily" She said "You're such a dreamer. You disappear completely into Lily land sometimes" "Shhh be quiet" Lily whispered to her, looking pointedly at the Top table, where Professor McGonagall was giving them a disapproving look. Lily caught Potter staring at her and-Was he laughing at her! Lily was outraged, but she remembered her promise to Alice and since she was unable to arrange my face into anything that resembled a smile; she looked down at her empty plate. When she next looked up he was laughing with his friends.

**James**

While Sirius explained their plan to Peter Pettigrew for the third time, James looked around the Hall. In his opinion he couldn't be blamed for not taking any interest in the Sorting as he had seen it a good few times before.  
He saw Lily Evans staring straight up at the ceiling and automatically followed her gaze. The sky did look beautiful tonight. She looked oblivious as to what was going on around her and jumped about a foot into the air when the first student was sorted into Ravenclaw. James caught her eye and couldn't help smirking.

She ducked her head, looking livid, her cheeks flushing a light shade of pink, which shouldn't have gone with her dark red hair but somehow looked really pretty and James only looked away when the tables began to pile up with food.

"Oi!" Sirius elbowed him hard in the ribs. "Quit staring at Evans, Its starting"

James winked at him and gestured at Frank Longbottom next to them. Frank reached for his glass of pumpkin juice and gasped when it leapt out of his reach. Frank looked up, startled.  
"Did you see that?" He asked Sirius.  
"See what?" Sirius answered smoothly, reaching for his own drink and taking a huge gulp. Frank shook his head and tried again for his glass. It tilted sideways, spilling a little bit. Sirius, Remus, and James stared resolutely onwards, their faces indifferent. Peter snorted loudly but luckily nobody took any notice because now everyone's drinks had started dancing.

Lily Evans was attempting to charm her glass to stop. Smart girl. Up at the top table James saw Slughorn grabbing at a glass of mead, Professor Guild growing increasingly frustrated as his mug slid up and down his arm and Professor Dumbledore sitting back in his chair, He looked around the hall and his piercing blue eyes focused on the Marauders, who were doing a terrible job of acting nonchalant. A corner of his mouth turned up in amusement but he said nothing.

Professor McGonagall seemed to realize who was behind it too because she stood up and tried to speak over the sound of clinking glasses. Remus decided they'd gone far enough and ceased the spell immediately. "James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew I believe you four are the master minds behind this?" They stood up sheepishly

. "Oh Professor you make me blush" Sirius said cheekily "If you think we're masterminds now, you should have seen us at the-" "SIRIUS BLACK" She thundered "You will all receive detention for the next three weekends" Sirius and James glanced at each other and simultaneously turned and gave a sweeping bow to the Hall. The students burst into raucous applause.

The first years bobbed around excitedly. Poor kids. They probably thought dinner was like this every night.

Professor McGonagall sat down wearily. The young woman had been head of Gryffindor since the boys were first years and she'd given up on disciplining them properly a long time ago. As James sat back down, He wasn't sure but thought he heard her say to Professor Dumbledore "I don't know how anyone will keep themselves entertained when they're gone."

He made sure to smile extra widely as they passed the teachers on the way out.


End file.
